DJI DROPSAFE

2015.01 

User Manual V1.2
2 © 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Disclaimer

The DJI Dropsafe is designed to reduce the drop speed of your fight platform. There is no guarantee that it 

will protect your equipment, prevent injury, or prevent property damage.

CO2 canisters are required and not included with the DJI Dropsafe. DJI assumes no liability for damages or 

injuries incurred directly or indirectly from using CO2 canisters improperly or using CO2 canisters that don’t 

meet safety requirements or standards.

Watch the Tutorial Videos

Please watch the tutorial videos below to learn how to use DJI Dropsafe correctly and safely.

www.dji.com/product/dropsafe/video

DJI Dropsafe offcial tutorial videos

Using this manual

Legend

Important Hints and Tips

 Important Safety Notice

The DJI Dropsafe uses a compression trigger spring. For safety, always insert the safety pin and power off the 

fight controller before removing the trigger compression tool. This will prevent accidental fring, which may 

cause injury. 

Only power on the fight controller after tightening the trigger compression tool or mounting the parachute 

housing and inserting the safety pin.
© 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 3

Contents

Disclaimer 2

Using this manual 2

Legend 2

Watch the Tutorial Videos 2

Profle	 4

In the Box 4

System Introduction 5

System Base 5

Installing DJI Dropsafe System 6

Detach System Base 6

Attachment Pad 6

Confgure Remote Controller Switches 6

System Base Connection 6

Setting Up the System Base for Deployment 7

Setting Up the CO2 Canister 9

Folding the Parachute 10

Connecting DJI Dropsafe to Your Multirotor 11

Install Backup Battery 12

DJI Dropsafe System Activation 13

Reusing the Parachute 13

Disassembling the DJI Dropsafe 13

Appendix 15

Specifcations 15

System LED table 15
4 © 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Profle / In the Box

Parachute Housing x1 Winglet x3 Side Strip x3

System Base x1

(Including: spring and triggering pin) Manifold x1 Packing Tool x1

Connection Cable x4 Safety Pin x1 Trigger Compression Tool x1

Hex Screwdriver x1 Attachment Pad x2 Parachute Pack x1

Screw x1 Backup Battery x1

In the Box

The complete DJI Dropsafe package includes the following items. If any items are missing, contact DJI or 

your local DJI authorized dealer for assistance. 

90±2 mm

10±1 mm

Screw size: 3/8 24 UNF-1A

Profle

The DJI Dropsafe is designed to reduce the drop speed of your fight platform. It is mounted to your fight 

platform and can be remotely activated when properly setup. In the event of an emergency, it deploys in less 

than half a second, and is effective at a minimum altitude of 6 meters. The DJI Dropsafe is compatible with 

DJI S1000+, S1000, S900 systems and DJI A2 fight control system.

CO2 canisters are required and not included with the DJI Dropsafe. Only use ISI 16g CO2 canisters or other 

16g CO2 canisters with specifcations as shown in the fgure. Improper use of the 16g CO2 canisters, or using 

other CO2 canisters, may cause system error or damage.
© 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 5

System Introduction

System Introduction

System base serves as the major component for the DJI Dropsafe system. Features such as self-check, 

stopping motors, triggering CO2 canister are implemented by the system base and fight controller. Triggering 

safety pin is in place to prevent users from accidently triggering the system. Parachute can be deployed in 

less than 0.5 second. 

System Base

[1] Connection Ports 

[2] Triggering Housing Unit 

[3] Initialization Button 

[4] System LEDs

Connection Ports

Used to connect the DJI Dropsafe to a DJI fight controller and remote controller receiver.

Triggering Housing Unit 

Houses the spring and triggering pin.

Initialization Button

Press the initialization button to put the system into the ready state. 

System LEDs

The system LEDs indicate the system status. Refer to the table in the Appendix for LED defnitions (Page 15).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Top View
6 © 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

Installing System Base

Installing DJI Dropsafe System

Detach System Base

System base is attached to parachute housing by default. To set up the system 

base, you need to detach the system base from the parachute housing. Follow 

the steps below to detach the system base from the parachute housing:

1. Remove the cover, then take off the winglets and side strips.

2. Remove the screw and take off parachute housing. 

3. Unscrew the manifold.

If using one remote controller to control the aircraft and the DJI Dropsafe at the same time, DO 

NOT map the channels on the A2 fight controller that are used for the DJI Dropsafe’s independent 

receiver to avoid function confict.

The DJI Dropsafe system can be deployed by A2 fight control system automatically. Upgrade the 

A2 controller unit frmware to 2.4 version or above and enable the parachute function in A2 Assistant 

to use the DJI Dropsafe system with A2 fight control system.

Connection Ports

ECO

WK

RC2

RC1

X3

F4

DJI Dropsafe

A2 Flight Controller

Channel for 

activation switch

Channel for

safety switch

Remote

Controller

Reciever

System Base Connection 

Remote Controller and Flight Controller Connection 

The DJI Dropsafe system base must be connected to your flight controller and RC receiver to function 

properly. Refer to the diagram below to complete the connections:

For A2 fight control system, connect the ECO and WK ports on the system base to the X3 and F4 ports on 

your fight controller. Then, connect the RC2 port on the system base to the port on the RC receiver that will 

be used as an “activation switch” to activate and deploy the DJI Dropsafe. Lastly, connect the RC1 port on the 

system base to the port on the RC receiver that will be used as a “safety switch”. 

Confgure Remote Controller Switches

An additional, independent remote controller and receiver are required to use the DJI Dropsafe. Two remote 

controller switches must be confgured for proper use of the DJI Dropsafe: one is a “safety switch”, and the other is 

an “activation switch” used to activate and deploy the system. Follow the instructions below. For the details on how 

to confgure the channel assignment of the switches, refer to your remote controller’s user manual. 

1. Recommend to select a trainer switch to act as the “safety switch”. 

2. Select a 2-position switch to act as the “activation switch”. 

Attachment Pad

Stick one of the attachment pads onto the bottom of the DJI Dropsafe system base, and the other pad to the 

center of your aircraft’s upper plate. Then secure the system base to your aircraft by pressing the attachment 

pad on the system base against the attachment pad on the aircraft.

The system base must be placed in the center of the aircraft’s upper plate to achieve optimal performance.
© 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 7

DJI DROPSAFE User Manual

Installing System Base

If the system LED blinks red, it indicates the signal from remote controller or flight controller is 

abnormal. Ensure both the "activation switch" and "safety switch" on the remote controller are in the 

OFF position and that the parachute function of your fight controller is enabled.

Setting Up the System Base for Deployment

Ensure the "activation switch" and "safety switch" on your remote controller are turned off. Ensure the 

spring and triggering pin are within the triggering housing unit. Follow the instructions below to set up the 

system base:

1. Rotate the nut of the trigger compression tool to the bottom of the bolt. Place the trigger compression 

tool into the triggering housing unit and tighten the nut. 3 Use the supplied hex screwdriver to rotate 

the trigger compression tool clockwise for fve times and then power on the on-board battery. The LED 

indicators on system base will blink red and green for three times to indicate the system is functional.

2. Press the initialization button to initialize the system. The system LED will blink solid red when the 

initialization is completed. 

3 ×5
8 © 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

DJI DROPSAFE User Manual

Installing System Base

5. Now the triggering pin is in the ready position. Insert the safety pin and power off the fight controller. Then 

rotate the hex screwdriver counter-clockwise to remove the trigger compression tool from the triggering 

housing unit.

4. It is recommended to test the system before each deployment. Follow the steps below to complete 

the test:

(1) Ensure triggering pin is locked in place and system is connected with fight controller. Unscrew the 

trigger compression tool for one round (do not unscrew for more than one round, otherwise triggering 

pin might be damaged when it is released). Make sure that system LED blinks solid green. 

(2) Toggle and hold the "safety switch" on the remote controller to the ON position. Then toggle the 

"activation switch" to activate and deploy the system. If the system is deployed successfully, the system 

LED blinks solid green and red, otherwise it indicates there is connection error, examine the connection 

to re-run the test until the issue is solved. 

(3) Power off the fight controller to complete the test. Repeat step 1 to step 3 described in "Setting Up the 

System Base for Deployment" to reset the system base.

3. Rotate the screwdriver to tighten the trigger compression tool until the system LED blinks solid green. 

Meanwhile, the other system LED will blink red for 9 seconds and then goes off. (The system imposes 

a nine second safety countdown. Refer to DJI Dropsafe System Activation (Page 13) for details.)

Green system LED blinks solid.

Red system LED blinks for 9 secs.

Important Safety Notice:

The DJI Dropsafe uses a compression trigger spring. For safety, always insert the safety pin 

and power off the fight controller before removing the trigger compression tool. This will prevent 

accidental firing, which may cause injury. Only power on the flight controller after tightening the 

trigger compression tool or mounting the parachute housing and inserting the safety pin.

REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT

3
© 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 9

DJI DROPSAFE User Manual

Setting Up the CO2 Canister

Installing System Base

1. Remove the safety pin from the system base. 2. Attach the three side strips onto the housing. 

Position the parachute housing over the system 

base, and gently slide the housing into place over 

the three arms of the manifold. Ensure that the 

LED window is aligned with the system LEDs.

90±2 mm

10±1 mm

Screw size: 3/8 24 UNF-1A

6. Screw the manifold into the system base (as shown in the fgure A below).

7. Ensure the manifold is aligned with the marker on the system base (as shown in the fgure B below). 

REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT

System LED 

Window

System 

LEDs

CO2 canisters are required and not included 

with the DJI Dropsafe. Only use ISI 16g CO2

canisters or other 16g CO2 canisters with 

specifcations as shown in the fgure. Improper 

use of the 16g CO2 canisters, or using other CO2

canisters, may cause system error or damage. REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT

REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT

A B

REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT
10 © 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

DJI DROPSAFE User Manual

Folding the Parachute

Folding the parachute properly is crucial for effective deployment. Carefully follow the instructions below to 

fold the parachute.

Watch the video tutorial on how to fold the parachute at www.dji.com/product/

dropsafe/video before you fold the parachute for the frst time. Failure to follow the 

folding instructions exactly may result in unsuccessful parachute deployment. 

Installing System Base

Short String

Connection String

4. Screw your 16g CO2 canister into the mounting 

hole on the manifold.

3. Slide the safety pin into the hole on the side strip, 

and thread it through the hole on the system base. 

Be aware that the safety pin should always be 

placed through the strip that is located behind the 

system LED window. 

Safety Pin Hole

System LED 

Window Mounting 

Hole
© 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 11

DJI DROPSAFE User Manual

Installing System Base

1. Remove the parachute from the package. Open the parachute above the system base, and allow the tip of 

the CO2 canister to run through the opening of the parachute. Ensure each short string is aligned with each 

of the three arms of the manifold.

2. Start folding the parachute and put the packing tool in place. The packing tool should cover each of the 

three arms of the manifold.

3. Watch the video tutorial on www.dji.com/product/dropsafe/video and carefully follow the instructions in the 

video to fold the parachute. 

4. Attach the short strings to the winglets by tightening the loop around the groove. 

5. Remove the packing tool from the manifold. Then attach each winglet to one of the manifold arms.

Remove the packing tool from the manifold before you attach the winglets. Failure to do so may 

result in unsuccessful parachute deployment.

Connecting DJI Dropsafe to Your Multirotor 

1. Attach the connection strings as shown in the video tutorial on www.dji.com/product/dropsafe/video.

2. For example, S900 users should connect and secure each connection string to its specifed position, as 

circled below:

M2 M1

M3 M6

M4 M5
12 © 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

DJI DROPSAFE User Manual

Install Backup Battery

You may wish to activate the backup battery on your RC receiver to provide power in the event that the onboard battery fails. Follow the steps below to install the backup battery: 

1. Turn on the battery. Backup battery LED will fash blue.

2. Plug backup battery into the remote controller receiver.

3. Remove safety pin to put the DJI Dropsafe system in “Ready” state.

 Ensure the backup battery is turned on before plugging in the receiver. Otherwise, the backup 

battery won’t work.

 Ensure the backup battery is fully charged before every fight.

Recharge your backup battery when the battery is low. Connect the micro-USB port on the backup 

battery with a power source to recharge the backup battery. The backup battery LED will display red 

when the battery is charging. The backup battery LED will display green when it is fully charged. 

4. Pull the connection strings tight and place the strings into the string holders on the parachute housing as 

shown in the fgure below. Adjust the length of the connection strings on both ends of the string holders. 

Ensure the strings are not loose on either end and will not affect the rotation of the propellers.

3. For example, S1000 users should connect and secure each connection string to its specifed position, as 

circled below. S1000+ users can secure each connection string in the same locations.

M2 M1

M3

M6

M4 M7

M8

M5

Lower Center Board 

over the Landing 

Gear Connection
© 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 13

DJI Dropsafe System Activation / Reusing the Parachute / Disassembling the DJI Dropsafe

DJI Dropsafe System Activation 

To activate the system and deploy the DJI Dropsafe, frst toggle and hold the "safety switch" on the remote 

controller to the ON position. Then toggle the "activation switch" to activate and deploy the system. 

In order to prevent accidental deployment before takeoff, a nine second safety countdown is imposed 

after the system is powered on. The LEDs will display solid green and blink red for nine seconds. 

During this period, the DJI Dropsafe will not respond to any commands from the remote controller. The 

system will only respond to commands after nine seconds. The nine second countdown will restart if 

either the "activation switch" or "safety switch" is toggled during the countdown. 

 DO NOT activate the DJI Dropsafe system before fight. 

 The DJI Dropsafe has a minimum deployment altitude of 6 meters, as tested at sea level. Users should 

be aware that the minimum deployment altitude is subject to altitude, air pressure, and other factors. 

 The table below shows the descending speed of aircraft relative to the payload when the DJI 

Dropsafe is deployed. 

Pay Load Descending Speed*

3kg 4.4m/s

6kg 5.6 m/s

9kg 6.8m/s

12kg 8.6m/s

15kg 11.7m/s

* The data above is obtained at sea level, in a no wind environment. For the test, the connection strings 

were attached to the aircraft 17cm away from the center of gravity and were uniform in their circular 

distribution. The actual speed of descent may vary depending on the external environment or the 

aerodynamic shape of your equipment. 

Reusing the Parachute

After successful deployment and landing, follow the instructions below to reuse the parachute:

1. Power off the fight controller and unscrew the CO2 canister.

2. Detach the connection strings from the frame arms.

3. Detach the short strings from the winglets.

4. Pack the parachute carefully.

5. Store other parts of the DJI Dropsafe for later use.

If there is no deployment during fight, replace the safety pin after landing. Before your next fight, remove the 

safety pin.

Disassembling the DJI Dropsafe

If the DJI Dropsafe has not been deployed, follow the instructions below to disassemble the DJI Dropsafe, 

preventing injury from improper operation.

1. Disassemble the parachute housing:

a. Ensure the safety pin is in position and the fight controller is powered off.

b. Detach the connection strings from the frame arms.

c. Remove the winglets from the manifold.

d. Detach the short strings from the winglets.

e. Remove the parachute.

f. Unscrew the CO2 canister.

g. Remove the safety pin.

h. Remove the parachute housing.

i. Insert the safety pin into the hole on the system base.
14 © 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 

DJI DROPSAFE User Manual

2. Release the triggering pin:

a. Unscrew the manifold.

b. Place the trigger compression tool into the triggering housing unit and tighten the nut.

c. Remove the safety pin.

d. Screw the trigger compression tool until it touches the triggering pin.

e. Power on the fight controller.

f. After the nine second safety countdown (refer to DJI Dropsafe System Activation (Page 13) for details), 

activate the system and deploy the DJI Dropsafe.

g. Remove the trigger compression tool after releasing the triggering pin successfully.

3. Power off the DJI Dropsafe:

a. Detach the system base and disconnect it from the fight controller.

b. Disable the parachute function in A2 Assistant.

c. Power off the fight controller.

If there is successful deployment during fight, only follow steps under “3. Power off the DJI Dropsafe”.
© 2015 DJI. All Rights Reserved. 15

Appendix

Appendix

Specifcations

Hardware Requirement

Supported Flight Control System A2

Supported Multi-rotor S1000+, S1000, S900

Mechanical and Electrical Features 

Input Voltage 5 V

System Weight 550 g

Deployment Time 0.5 s

Minimal Deployment Altitude 6 m

System LED Table 

System LED Remark

— Solid green System is ready.

— Solid red The trigger is not compressed.

Blinking red The trigger is not compressed, and the remote controller 

or fight controller safety function is active.

Blinking green The trigger is compressed, and the remote controller or 

fight controller safety function is active.

— Solid green and red Successful deployment.

Green and red blink 

simultaneously

Signal not detected from the remote controller, and 

abnormal fight controller signal.

 ×3 Green and red blink 

simultaneously for 3 times Initialization test complete.

 / Alternating green and red Signal not detected from the remote controller or flight 

controller. 

— Solid green and blinking red The remote controller has been used within the nine 

second safety countdown.

LEDs OFF Powered off, or reset required.
www.dji.com/product/dropsafe

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